


Spirits of the Sea

by Neko_ryn



Series: Wandering Tales [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Merman Minho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25868488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neko_ryn/pseuds/Neko_ryn
Summary: Jisung is terribly in love with a merman named Minho. Despite knowing each other for years, Jisung hasn't been able to confess because Minho is only there for the summer every year, and he's afraid that one day the handsome merman will arrive with a partner and break his heart. Of course, this has never happened, and maybe the only thing Jisung needs is a little push in the right direction.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Series: Wandering Tales [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024936
Comments: 17
Kudos: 122





	Spirits of the Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [georgieP](https://archiveofourown.org/users/georgieP/gifts).



> Terrible summary, I know, but I'm not good at these things. This work is a gift for my good friend Georgie, and it was inspired by the playlist they sent me on their first penpal letter to me. I honestly love how it came out so so much, and I hope everyone else is able to enjoy it as well. And to Georgie, I love you, thank you for being by my side <3

“Jisung! Wake up!” Changbin yelled from the first floor of the cozy two-story house they shared. “The whales have arrived to the port!”

He woke up slowly, as he usually did, always succumbing to the ‘five more minutes’ spell. Jisung wasn’t lazy, but he often spent the night awake working on new projects. He and Changbin where both artisans, and they specialized on music boxes. From composing the song to the outer decorations of the box, they did everything themselves, and their music boxes were exported to other towns as luxurious gifts. 

The name of their store was Spirits of the Sea, because their town was in the coastline and their music was often inspired by nature. It was summer now, which meant that the whales had traveled in for breeding season. Whales meant one thing to the town: the merfolk had finally arrived. That alone was enough to make summer Jisung’s favorite season.

Long ago, the merfolk and the humans had been enemies, with them hunting each other viciously, but at some point that had stopped. Ports became a trading place between the two species instead. The merfolk brought all sorts of treasures and materials that humans couldn’t get themselves, and the humans gave them tools and products that the merfolk couldn’t craft underwater.

It had been difficult at first to communicate with them, because the merfolk couldn’t articulate words. Instead they used clicks and sounds in high frequencies, much like other underwater creatures. They also had their own form of sign-language for communication in short distances. That was what the humans and the merfolk focused on translating in order to be able to communicate.

Much like humans, merfolk were also divided in groups and had their own languages. As far as Jisung knew, all mernations were nomadic though, only staying at a certain place for some time before moving along with the sea animal that represented them. Usually, all inhabitants of a coastal town would be familiar with the sign-language of the mernation that visited them every year. And for Jisung’s town, it was the nation of the Blue Whales.

Whales at the port meant that the merfolk had arrived, and for Jisung that meant two things: he would get to trade with the merfolk for new songs, and he would get to see Minho. But if he wanted to meet Minho, he first needed to wake up. With a little difficulty, he forced himself to sit down and get out of bed. He couldn’t open his eyes properly yet, so he blindly stumbled to the restroom to wash his face.

He felt much more awake once he had washed his face. He got dressed with a simple white shirt and black slacks before fixing his hair, making it look less like he had been sleeping and more like he cared for his appearance. Before going downstairs to meet with Changbin, he grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and the bag he usually took to port. He put on his shoes, which were waiting for him at the top of the stairs, and finally went down into the store.

It was already late morning, and Changbin was drinking a cup of hot coffee in the front desk while reading the newspaper. Jisung turned around at the stairs and made his way to the kitchen at the back of their house to eat his breakfast and pack the lunches he would trade for songs. The mernation that visited his town was very kind to him. A lot of them gifted him the songs, others asked to trade their songs with songs Jisung had made, and some others were content with just eating whatever he had to offer that day.

Merfolk songs were beautiful and unique, and Jisung and Changbin always crafted only one music box per song. The merfolk had the unique ability to express emotions in their melodies in the way that no human could, even when they didn’t use words. Old legends used to say that there were songs so special that once the right human connected to them, no one else would be able to hear them. 

Of course, those were nothing more than old stories passed down through generations, and while Jisung didn’t believe in them, he liked to imagine what it would be like to have a song only for you. However, he didn’t have time for such things at that moment, because he needed to hurry if he wanted to make a living. 

Obtaining the songs early during the season meant they could start working on the music boxes faster. And since the boxes crafter in that season were a lot more unique, there was a lot more pressure to finish making them so they could be put to sale. So Jisung ate his breakfast quickly and began packing all the lunches he could by himself, until Changbin eventually finished his coffee and went to help him.

“You look excited as always,” Changbin commented, as they packed food in woven bags that could be later used by the merfolk to carry other things. “Afraid your boyfriend will get tired of waiting for you?”

“He is not my boyfriend… yet, anyways,” Jisung sighed, putting a unfortunate apple with too much force inside of a bag.

“Don’t take it out on the food for our guests,” Changbin chuckled. “Why haven’t you asked him out, anyway?”

“Because he’s a traveling ea-creature that I only get to see for a few months every year and that could possibly get another more fitting partner belonging to his own nation?” Jisung said in one breath.

“That is a very long and convoluted reason, you know?” Changbin smiled kindly at him, knowing that deep inside, that was just Jisung’s way of saying he was scared. “Plus, you’ve been seeing him for years, and every time he comes back as single as ever.”

“Your point?” Jisung asked, finishing yet another bag, and contemplating the idea that maybe he had prepared too much and he wouldn’t be able to carry it alone to port.

“Maybe he’s waiting for you to ask him,” Changbin shrugged, and that was that.

Once they were done preparing all of the bags, Jisung went to borrow a little cart from one of their neighbors. Changbin helped him load everything into it. Jisung checked one last time that he was carrying his trustworthy recorder to record the songs, and his notebook and pen he used to write details about them that would later be used to decorate the boxes. 

The songs always had a theme to them, and sometimes they also had a recipient. Sometimes the recipient was a creature or a place, sometimes it was a memory dear to the singer, sometimes it was an individual. Jisung would write down their stories and then handcraft a perfect box to fit that song, making them even more special.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me this time?” Jisung asked Changbin, like he always did before he went to port.

“No, I’m fine here, thanks,” Changbin rejected him with a smile, also like he always did.

Jisung began his little trip to port then, all by himself. He liked the solitude of the trip because it gave him time to prepare himself to see Minho, as he was always nervous to meet the merman. Along the way he greeted his neighbors, some of them who were also on their way to the port to meet the Blue Whale nation and catch up with old friends or meet the new merpeople.

He didn’t know about the past, but he liked that they were no longer enemies, because Jisung couldn’t imagine his life without the merfolk that sang to him. And especially, he couldn’t imagine his life without Minho. They had met years ago when Jisung had moved into the town to learn the art of making music boxes. It had been the same year he had met Changbin, another apprentice of the lady that had taken them in.

She had showed them to port and taught them how to negotiate with the merfolk using their sign language for songs. Changbin had been terrified of the water and had ended up going back to the workshop, but Jisung had stayed, taking in all of the songs with wonder in his eyes. And then he spotted Minho among the soft waves, looking at the elders exchange songs with interest. 

With curiosity, Jisung had approached him and tried to exchange a few words with his still limited sign language. Minho had stared at him, looking mildly annoying, before splashing water on Jisung’s face and disappearing. Jisung had decided then and there that he would become friends with the merman. It took him every single day the mernation spent at the port of the next two years for Jisung and Minho to become friends, but as they did, Jisung began to look at Minho differently.

Anyone who knew Jisung knew he was starstruck with the merman. He was always the most excited for summer and for the arrival of the whales, and everytime they made it to port, he was there every single day until they left. No one could really blame him though, and it had become a tradition in the little town to vote whether Jisung would confess that year, or not.

After a little while of walking, Jisung made it to port and began walking to the rock formations where the merfolk liked to rest. He left the little cart on the sand, close enough to the rocks that he could come and go as he needed more lunches to deliver. Jisung sat at the rocks with the merfolk that were resting there, and they received him like an old friend, excitedly telling him about the new songs they brought.

Jisung spent hours at the beach next to the port recording and writing about the new songs. His heart growing heavier with excitement as sunset approached, as that was the time when Minho would usually show himself. Minho had told him that he was actually always there, but he enjoyed seeing Jisung work so much that he didn’t want to distract him, and instead would wait it out until it was technically not time to be working anymore.

Finally, a mop of very dark blue hair peeked through the water, followed by a set of eyes, a nose, and a pair of lips. Jisung smiled as he saw Mingho swim towards the rocks and then skillfully climb them until he was sitting next to Jisung. The human chuckled, as he helped push Minho’s bangs back to be able to see his face properly. Minho smiled at him, all sharp teeth as usual and began signing enthusiastically.

_ Are you done with work?  _ Minho asked, adding a few chirping sounds that Jisung knew meant he was excited.

_ Yes, I am _ . Jisung nodded. He had gotten better a signing from years of arguing with Minho until he had finally convinced him of being friends.

_ Then let’s go for a swim. _ Minho suggested, grabbing Jisung’s hand and pulling him towards the water.

“Wait, wait!” Jisung yelled, since he couldn’t sign and Minho could understand at least that much. “I’m dressed!” He said, pointing at his clothes.

_ Then take it off. _ Minho rolled his eyes, as if the answer was obvious, but it wasn’t quite so much for Jisung.  _ Just hurry! _

Jisung groaned. This was not a new discussion between them. Minho always invited him to swim and Jisung always tried to protest that he was wearing clothes. Of course, the solution was as easy as removing those clothes and following Minho into the water with just his underwear. But for Jisung’s feelings, it was never that simple.

Still, he did as he was told and took off his clothes, folding them neatly on the rocks. Minho grabbed his hand and pulled Jisung into the water again. They jumped from the rocks. The distance was short, but the water was cool and it still shocked Jisung, leaving him a little breathless. Minho helped him to the surface and once he was ready submerged back into the water with him.

It was always surprising to see how much the sea around their little town could change every year. Jisung never got bored of his trips underwater with Minho. Partially because he got to spend time with the merman that he liked so much, but also because the scenery was never the same, it was awe inspiring every single time. 

They swam around for a while, always close to the surface so Jisung could breathe in oxygen whenever he needed to. It always made him feel bad that he couldn’t follow Minho deeper into the water because he was limited by his need for air, when he knew that the merman longed to just swim around freely and show him more. Still, Minho had never showed any signs of discomfort just keeping to the surface, and Jisung appreciated that.

When they made it back to the rocks, the son had already set, and the wind had begun to cool a little. Jisung shook like a leaf as he tried to dry up quickly in order to get dressed. Minho sat next to him and hugged him, his skin was cool, which didn’t really help with the cold, but Jisung wasn’t about to reject a hug from the person he was in love with.

_ Hey, Jisung _ . Minho signed, getting his attention.

_ What? _ Jisung signed back, messing up slightly because he was cold.

_ I have a gift for you, bring your recorder. _ Minho instructed him, pointing towards the bag resting on top of his clothes.

Jisung went to pick it up, a little confused as to why Minho would want his recorder to begin with. Still, he brought it over. Minho grabbed it and fumbled with it until he remembered which one was the record button and pressed it. Then he began singing. Jisung’s eyes opened wide as he listened to Minho, shocked. In all the years Jisung had known Minho, he had never once heard him sing.

And now Minho was singing, and without noticing, Jisung had begun crying. He couldn’t put into words what the song was making him feel, but it was a lot, more than any other merfolk song had ever made him feel, despite how beautiful they were. The minutes that Minho spent singing felt like an eternal moment to Jisung, like time had stopped and it was just the two of them separated from the rest of the world.

The song ended and Minho pressed to stop recording. He gave the recorder back to Jisung and dried his tears softly, smiling at him. Jisung looked at him without understanding, confused and overwhelmed with feelings. He then looked down at the recorder almost like he didn’t understand what it was. Minho tapped his shoulder gently, prompting him to look up.

_ See you tomorrow.  _ Minho signed, inching towards the water. Jisung reached towards him and stopped him.

_ What is the story behind it?  _ He asked hurriedly, willing himself to memorize it and just write it later.

_ I’m sure you’ll figure it out if you listen to it with Changbin _ . Minho shrugged and then jumped into the water.

Jisung hurried to dress up and gather his belongings before running home with the cart. He quickly returned it to the person that had lent it to him and ran into the house. It was already late at night, so Changbin was already asleep, but he didn’t care for that. Jisung ran into their workshop and immediately began working on the music box for Minho’s song. It was the most beautiful song he had ever heard, and he wanted to make a beautiful box for it.

He first assembled the mechanism. It was the easiest part to do since it was virtually the same for every box, and it was the first thing that he had learned how to do. Then began the most difficult part: translating the songs into the music sheets for the box. It would usually take hours as he replayed each note dozens of times just to make sure he was getting them right. But this time it was different, as he played every part of the song twice as many times as he usually did.

Eventually the morning came and Changbin found Jisung asleep at their workshop, song half finished beneath him. He quietly shook him awake, and Jisung bolted up speaking something unintelligible about a song. Changbin stared at him weirdly until Jisung wiped the dry saliva from his mouth and made a quick apology.

“I think you should go take a shower before you continue working in that,” Changbin told him, to which Jisung nodded.

He was feeling exhausted but he wanted to finish working on the box before he went to meet Minho again. He wanted to get the story behind the song out of him, make the most beautiful box ever, and then never sell it. It was probably selfish of him to think like that, because Minho’s song was the most beautiful song he had ever heard, and he had never put so much effort in a box. But he didn’t want anyone else to have it.

After the shower, he found himself feeling more clear headed and a little less tired. He made his way back to the workshop but Changbin stopped him on his tracks and forced him to eat something before he buried himself in work. They both knew well that once Jisung hyperfocused on his work, he stopped at nothing until he was finished.

“How are you going to decorate it?” Changbin asked casually, eating his own lunch.

“I don’t know, he didn’t want to tell me the story behind it,” Jisung sighed. “Said I would understand it once you listened to it.”

“That’s weird,” Changbin frowned. He only realized he didn’t know who was the author of the song until after Jisung had left to work on the music box, and by then it was too late to ask him about it. 

Jisung worked the whole day on the music box, focused on translating every detail in Minho’s voice into the box. He was done right after sunset, when Minho would be waiting for him at the shore. He sighed, satisfied with his work, knowing that no one else would ever be able to put so much passion into a song crafted by Minho. 

Changbin walked in right then, coffee mug in hand, and sat next to him. He looked at the music box with curiosity. At that moment, it looked like every other music box they had worked on, still lacking its own unique shell. However, Changbin was aware that this box was special, because he had never seen Jisung put so much effort into any of his other boxes.

“Shall we listen to it?” Changbin asked.

Taking a deep breath, Jisung nodded and picked the box up. He winded up the box and then let go of the key. The beautiful melody that Minho had sung before began playing, and Jisung’s eyes filled with tears once again. He looked up at Changbin, but noticed that his friend was looking in confusion at the box, like something was wrong.

“What is it?” Jisung asked, a little scared that he had fucked up, that it sounded bad. “You don’t like it?”

“It’s not that,” Changbin shook his head. “I can see that the box is playing it, but I don’t hear anything.”

Jisung placed the music box carefully on the table, looking at Changbin without understanding. Changbin’s expression told him that he understood just as little. And then something clicked in Jisung’s brain: the legends. A song so special that only the right person would be able to listen to it. He stood up and ran out of the store without saying anything, leaving a confused Changbin behind as he ran all the way to the beach surrounding the port.

He arrived, breathless and covered in sweat, and Minho was there, sitting on the rocks by himself. Waiting for him. Jisung walked all the way up to him, trying to regain his breath, and Minho looked up at him with an amused expression, like he knew what had happened. Jisung sat cross legged next to him, facing him, and tried to push the words out through his hands.

_ Why can’t Changbin hear it? _ He asked, not sure of how to word the question better.

_ The other day I heard a story from your people, that sometimes a human connects to a song and no one but them will be able to hear it.  _ Minho began telling him, and Jisung nodded, because he knew those legends as well.  _ It’s not entirely wrong, but it also isn’t right. It’s not just a random connection between a song and a human. And it doesn’t happen only to humans. It’s a love confession. _

“W-What?” Jisung stuttered, completely forgetting to sign for a moment.

_ When we confess our love, we do it with a song, and no one but our loved one will be able to hear that song.  _ Minho explained with a wide smile.

_ So you’re telling me… you love me?  _ Jisung signed, hands shaking as he tried to make the words while holding back tears.

_ I have for a while now, but you have a bit of thick head and it never got through to you _ . Minho chuckled, a soft chirpy sound. 

_ Then, will you date me?  _ Jisung asked, eyes shiny with tears of happiness as he leaned closer. Minho chuckled again and nodded. Jisung wrapped him into a hug that Minho returned, laughing unstoppably because he was just too happy and Jisung was too cute.  _ Stop laughing at me! _

_ Only if you kiss me.  _ Minho smiled cheekily at him, but Jisung was no coward.

He leaned towards him and closed his eyes. Minho met him halfway and they shared their first kiss. Jisung had imagined before what it would be like to feel Minho’s lips on his, but nothing could have prepared him for the sensation. Minho’s lips were a bit rough and salty from the effect of the sea, but to Jisung it still felt like magic. And he realized that no matter how different Minho was to him, Jisung loved every single part about him.

When they broke apart, they sat next to each other in silence for a little while, appreciating the night sky and the soft sound of the waves breaking against the rock. Jisung wished they could stay like this forever. He still had a full summer by his side to enjoy, but eventually Minho’s nation would go on their way and be back until next summer. And Jisung would miss him so much during that time.

_ Why did you suddenly give me your song? You had never sung to me before. _ Jisung said after a little while, genuinely curious as to what had changed.

_ Changbin came yesterday in the morning while you slept.  _ Minho explained, and Jisung looked at him in surprise. Changbin was terrified of the sea, how had he made it so far?  _ He said he was worried about you, because you always get sad when I leave and are always worried that I’ll end up dating someone else. He said that was the reason you didn’t want to ask me to date you. _

“That’s snitch!” Jisung muttered, not singing it because he didn’t want Minho to know what that meant.  _ So you sang to reassure me. _

_ That is partially the reason, but I also want you to have something that belongs only to you and me, so that you don’t miss me too much on the months that I’m gone.  _ Minho smiled.

Jisung’s eyes filled with tears, moved by the meaning behind what Minho had prepared. He was a sensitive person after all. Minho hugged him again and ruffled his hair, chuckling slightly with those soft clicks of him and probably thinking Jisung was a crybaby. He wasn’t wrong.

_ Then, would you date me? _ Jisung asked once he had managed to get his tears under control.

_ Of course, silly _ . Minho chuckled again.  _ I already gave you my love confession, I’d say we’re pretty official already. _

Minho leaned closer to softly kiss his cheek. They spent a couple more hours together, Minho singing their song once again to Jisung, a song only he could hear, before sending him home to sleep. Jisung made sure to thank Changbin for the sacrifice he had made, but Changbin pretended to not know what he was talking about. And the next day Jisung visited Minho at the port again.

That summer was almost like any other. Jisung spent his days exchanging songs for other songs or for food, or receiving them as gifts, and then crafting beautiful music boxes out of them. The difference was that now Minho received him with kisses and a melody just for the two of them. And when autumn rolled by and they had to leave, Jisung played the music box almost every night, just for himself, waiting for Minho to come back.

In the end, he chose a familiar scene for the decoration of his music box. A cove made of stone under a lighthouse, with two little figures embracing each other. A human and a merman, singing a song that was only for the two of them to hear. A song that promised they would find each other again, year after year.

**Author's Note:**

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